The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 249 Li Yi: Kongming is the only one qualified to be the president of Xuzhou Institute of Science and Technology; I'll just be an honorary professor.

Meanwhile, Liu Biao, the Duke of Chu, used his prestige as the governor of Jingzhou for fifteen years to forcefully subdue the people.

He risked his reputation of many years and demanded to send troops to Lujiang to attack the Sun family.

Fortunately, the Sun family had a grudge against Jingzhou, and Huainan was a wealthy region.

Therefore, when Liu Biao adopted a resolute attitude, he did not provoke strong opposition from his ministers.

Therefore, the entire state of Chu began to mobilize and prepare for the campaign to conquer Lujiang.

Let me talk about two things.

At this time, Liu Bei's army had already reached Linzi in Qingzhou.

Qingzhou was Guan Yu's territory, and as the governor of Qingzhou, Guan Yu personally led his civil and military officials out of the city for thirty miles to welcome him.

The brothers met and exchanged greetings.

Including Guan Yu's Qingzhou soldiers, Liu Bei now had 40,000 troops at his disposal.

The other counties were still preparing their troops, but at this crucial moment, Liu Bei called a halt.

Liu Bei ordered the prefects of each prefecture to hold their troops in place for the time being and not to send more troops to his location.

The reason for calling a halt was that spies in Wei had promptly relayed two important messages to Liu Bei.

First, Xiahou Yuan succeeded Cao Ren and took command of the eastern front.

Secondly, the states of Wei and Chu had close ties and were suspected of agreeing to send troops together.

These two messages revealed two important pieces of information to Liu Bei.

First, Cao Wei was very likely to launch an attack on Xuzhou; second, Chu might seize Lujiang, threatening Huainan of Qi.

Xuzhou is Lao Liu's headquarters, so we must be wary of it.

Huainan is the granary of the rear, and it certainly cannot be threatened.

Judging from Cao Cao's personnel arrangements

Xiahou Yuan was in charge of the eastern front, while Cao Ren was the commander-in-chief of the southern military region.

Both men were Cao Cao's trusted advisors, which shows that Cao Cao attached great importance to these two fronts.

And what about Cao Cao himself?

He did not leave the north, but chose to stay in Ye City and confront Li Yi.

Liu Bei wanted to fight a major battle with Cao Cao in the north.

Judging from Cao Cao's intentions, he wanted to divide his forces and fight on multiple fronts.

Therefore, after some consideration, Liu Bei decided to order the governors of each prefecture to hold back their troops for the time being.

His 40,000 troops also temporarily stayed in Qingzhou.

The advantage of doing this was that Liu Bei could take care of both the north and the south at the same time.

If the war in the south becomes unbearable, he can immediately head south to provide support.

If Li Yi in the north gains a strategic advantage, Liu Bei can enter the fray immediately and deliver a fatal blow to Cao Wei.

After making this decision, Liu Bei summoned the ministers in his palace to discuss matters concerning the Xuzhou battlefield.

Xiahou Yuan was well-versed in military strategy and adept at understanding military tactics.

"Gentlemen, if Cao Wei truly intends to invade Xuzhou, where should they attack?"

Liu Bei's gaze swept around the group and landed on everyone.

One person stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the Wei people are very likely to have crossed over from Lu and then invaded the East Sea."

The speaker was Chen Gong, an advisor.

Chen Gong was originally a former official of Lü Bu, but after Lü Bu was sent to Liaodong, Chen Gong was unwilling to go with him.

He has been unemployed at home ever since.

Regardless of how later generations evaluate Chen Gong's character, his contemporaries recognized his integrity.

It means "upright and honest in character, resourceful and wise".

He was a famous scholar and strategist of his time.

Liu Bei recruited Chen Gong as his advisor because he appreciated Chen Gong's talent.

Another important reason is that the relationship between Qi and Wei has broken down, and the two sides are now in conflict.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Whoever tries to defeat Cao Cao, Chen Gong will always step in to lend a hand.

Of course, the most important reason.

Chen Gong, as a renowned scholar from Dongjun, was very famous in Yanzhou.

It almost represented the interests of the scholars in Yanzhou.

It should be noted that Yanzhou was known as a place of constant warfare.

However, it has as many as eighty-one cities at the county level.

If you include the military fortresses below the county seat, then Yanzhou has more than a hundred cities.

There are over a hundred cities; it would take an unknown amount of time to conquer them by force.

When Chen Gong and Zhang Miao launched their rebellion in Yanzhou, how many cities did Cao Cao still have left?

The answer is, there are only three left.

Cao Cao was left with only three cities, something even the then-powerful Yuan Shao had never achieved.

This also means that at that time, almost every prefecture in Yanzhou was in rebellion, with every county responding.

The scale of the rebellion was unprecedented and can be imagined.

Although Cao Cao later quelled the rebellion in Yan Province, he did not reach a reconciliation with the scholars of Yan Province.

Instead, he chose to move the administrative center to Yingchuan and heavily rely on scholars from Yuzhou.

This made the relationship between the scholars of Yanzhou and Cao Cao even more delicate.

However, the people of Yanzhou were powerless to launch another rebellion like they had done years before, nor could they afford the consequences of a failed rebellion.

So they remained at an impasse with Cao Cao, making do with what they had.

Just then, Liu Bei extended an olive branch.

On the advice of Zhuge Liang and others, the Prince's Palace needed advisors.

Liu Bei immediately sent someone with a large sum of money to recruit Chen Gong, who was unemployed at the time.

He used this "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones" method to curry favor with the scholars of Yanzhou.

People often wonder why Chen Gong didn't join Liu Bei when he brought Lü Bu to Xuzhou.
In fact, Chen Gong was the standard image of a scholar-official in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He only associated with scholars in his own circle.

It's the same principle as Liu Yao saying he used Taishi Ci, which would make him a laughing stock in the industry.

At that time, Liu Bei, who had risen from humble beginnings, was completely looked down upon by Chen Gong.

Even Lu Bu was only seen by Chen Gong as a swordsman from the borderlands, a tool for him to revive Yanzhou.

But things are different now.

Liu Bei had already proven his ability to establish himself in Xuzhou.

Not only that, they destroyed Yuan Shu and defeated Yuan Shao.

He was undoubtedly the number one feudal lord in the world.

Liu Xie recognized his family lineage and bestowed upon him the title of king.

The group of old brothers who followed Liu Bei in conquering the world back then are all living a life of luxury.

Li Yi obtained Ji Province, Guan Yu obtained Qing Province, and Tian Yu and Qian Zhao obtained You Province.

Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Chen Dao, Mi Zhu, and Jian Yong held high-ranking positions in the Qi Prince's mansion.

On the other hand, what about Chen Gong?
The pursuit of perfection led to a succession of monarchs.

But Yanzhou gradually drifted away from him.

Years of failures and setbacks caused Chen Gong to experience a severe sense of frustration and internal strife.

He began to think about what he had been doing all these years.
Was it a mistake not to follow Liu Bei when you came to Xuzhou?
Although I really don't want to admit that I'm blind, the undeniable facts are right in front of me.

Chen Gong chose the wrong side at that time.

You used to ignore me, but now you'll be begging for my attention.

Chen Gong had already missed the best opportunity to join Liu Bei.

Back then, Liu Bei had just secured his position in Xuzhou and was eager to recruit talented individuals.

If Chen Gong had abandoned Lü Bu and stayed in Xuzhou at that time, he would certainly have been given an important position.

He might have already risen to the rank of prefect or other high-ranking official.

but now,
Liu Bei, who had already risen to the highest ranks of nobility, would not have needed Chen Gong more or less.

Faced with Liu Bei's willingness to set aside past grievances and extend an olive branch once again.

Chen Gong certainly couldn't afford to make the same mistake again, so he decisively seized the opportunity.

He entered the Qi Prince's mansion as a staff member.

Chen Gong, who had just joined the company, also wanted to actively show his abilities.

Moreover, since it was also about Cao Cao, Chen Gong also spoke up enthusiastically, analyzing Cao Cao's possible military strategies for Liu Bei.

"...The Wei army has no advantage in naval power, so it dares not deploy heavy troops in Huainan."

"Having already ceded Taishan Commandery to Your Majesty, you will certainly not dare to cross the mountain ridge and invade Xu."

"Therefore, I predict that their eastern army will surely march out from Lu and invade the East Sea."

“The eastern sea borders Xiapi, and Wei wants to quickly conquer it to threaten Your Majesty.”

Chen Gong was an excellent strategist and a native of Yanzhou, so he was familiar with the geography of Yanzhou.

He also knew Cao Cao very well.

He concluded that Cao Cao would definitely go to Lu, then invade Donghai and launch a surprise attack on Xiapi.

This was the best route of advance for Cao Wei to quickly seize the capital of Qi and take the initiative.

Liu Bei followed the Huai, Si, and Yi rivers on the map and explored the area.

After pondering for a while, he said to Guan Yu beside him:

"Yun Chang, you shall proceed to Xiapi immediately."

"The people of Xuzhou are now under your command."

The implication is that Liu Bei entrusted the southern battlefield to Guan Yu.

This was expected by everyone.

After all, the commander-in-chief of a region would definitely be chosen from among Li Yi, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

Li Yi has already been appointed governor of the north, and the southern war zone is dominated by either Guan Yu or Zhang Fei.

"Here!!"

Guan Yu immediately accepted the order and led 10,000 Qingzhou soldiers to Xuzhou to assume his post.

"Let Yuanlong send a portion of the Huainan naval forces to the front lines in Xuzhou for Yunchang's command."

Considering that Xuzhou also has many rivers, and the completion of the Hangou Canal.

Liu Bei then ordered a naval force to be allocated to Guan Yu.

This would make it easier for him to transport grain and supplies.

Since Liu Bei started his career, he has had approximately 170,000 troops that he can directly mobilize.

These 170,000 people represent the maximum that can be mobilized to stabilize the domestic situation without harming the foundation of the nation.

However, Liu Bei would certainly not mobilize the entire country to this extent unless absolutely necessary.

Because mobilizing 170,000 troops means that at least 400,000 to 500,000 civilian laborers also need to be mobilized.

This price was something Liu Bei could hardly afford.

Currently, Xuzhou has 50,000 troops that can directly participate in the battle, and Huainan has 20,000.

Including the 10,000 Qingzhou soldiers that Yun Chang brought, the total number of troops deployed in the southern battlefield was approximately 80,000.

Eighty thousand soldiers went directly to the battlefield, which is no small number.

Liu Bei looked at the statistics, even though he was a veteran of many battles.

But he still couldn't help but write a letter to Guan Yu, giving him one last piece of advice:
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Yun."

"The weight of Xuzhou rests on my shoulders, my worthy brother."

"To entrust you with an army of 80,000 is no small matter."

"Xiahou Yuan is a tiger general in Cao Cao's camp, well-versed in military strategy, so we must not be careless."

"I wish you would carefully observe the terrain and assess the enemy's strengths and weaknesses before advancing."

"But if there is anything unclear, you can discuss it with Kongming."

Be careful, be careful.

After finishing writing the letter, Liu Bei felt a little relieved.

They quietly observed the situation in Linzi.

Two days later, a messenger reported that Prime Minister Li Yi had arrived from the north.

Liu Bei was quite shocked and immediately summoned Li Yi to see him, asking:
"...Why is the Prime Minister here in Qingzhou alone instead of guarding Jizhou in Bohai?"

Seeing that Li Yi hadn't brought many men, Liu Bei knew that he must have something to do.

Li Yi then said:

"Having heard that Your Majesty's army is stationed in Linzi to observe the situation, and that I am currently in Hebei, I have come here to pay my respects."

Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief and then said:
"Even so, the Prime Minister also oversees military affairs in the north."

"The traitor Cao may launch an attack at any time. It would be best for the Prime Minister to return to Hebei first."

Li Yi smiled slightly and gently comforted Liu Bei, saying:
"Your Majesty, do not worry. I have already dispatched Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan to guard Julu and Ganling."

"As for Bohai, there are Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Xun You, and Xu Shu."

"There will be no loss, my lord, please do not worry."

There were quite a few ministers in the north.

However, the military generals that Li Yi valued and employed were only of two types.

One group consisted of veteran generals from Hebei, such as Zhang He and Gao Lan, while the other group consisted of former generals from Xuzhou, such as Zhang Liao and Xu Huang.

Similarly, Xun You was a veteran official, while Xu Shu was a newcomer.

Achieving a balance between new and old talent is Li Yi's consistent approach to personnel management.

"The traitor Cao Cao has concentrated his forces in Huainan and the eastern front, and his ambitions are not limited to the northern frontier."

"Therefore, the northern border is poorly defended, and its troops are insufficient to defend against us."

“The thief is afraid of me. If I do not make the first move, he will not dare to act rashly.”

Li Yi further analyzed the current situation for Liu Bei.

His personnel arrangements in Hebei were already in place, and Cao Cao did not send any more troops northward.

Since he lacked a numerical advantage, Li Yi was certain that Cao Cao would not dare to attack.

For this reason, Li Yi suspected that Cao Cao's previous mobilization of the entire country to increase the number of troops in Hebei was a false message spread by spies from Wei.

Judging from various details, Cao Cao deployed more troops to the eastern and southern fronts than to the north.

Actually, this is more reasonable.

Why?

Cao Cao's current administrative center is in Hebei, and his Wei Commandery has virtually no strategic depth.

If a war breaks out, the damage to infrastructure will inevitably be extremely severe.

Therefore, Cao Cao's plan was to shift the battle line to the east and, in turn, threaten Liu Bei's territory.

"According to the Prime Minister's wishes, Wei will concentrate its troops on the eastern front?" Liu Bei asked.

"My purpose in making this trip is to inspect Xuzhou and devise strategies for attack and defense."

"If Wei were to launch a full-scale attack on Xu, Guan Yu could be sent to defend the region."

"I urge Your Majesty to lead a separate force, so that I may march north and seize the remaining territory of the Cao family north of the Yellow River."

"In this way, Hebei can be pacified, and the Mandate of Heaven will surely return to Qi!"

Alright...

Liu Bei, with his hands behind his back and brows furrowed, asked again:
"How many troops does the Prime Minister want in Hebei?"

"The strength of the troops is unclear; they may number 10,000 to 20,000, or 30,000 to 40,000."

"The war has just begun, and the outcome is uncertain; it is too early to make a hasty judgment."

Li Yi frankly told Liu Bei that it was still uncertain.

If the goal is simply for Li Yi to defeat Cao Cao in the north, then he wouldn't need Liu Bei to provide him with additional troops.

Only Hebei soldiers are enough.

The problem is that his goal wasn't to defeat Cao Cao, but to seize and occupy Cao Cao's territory.

To completely digest and control the northern Wei territory and prevent it from launching a counterattack.

Then we'll have to ask Lao Liu for more people.

"Furthermore, I have recently heard that powerful clans in Youzhou have repeatedly murdered their superiors and raised the banner of rebellion to defy the king's orders."

"However, Your Majesty, do not worry. I have already sent Guo Rang to quell the unrest, and he will surely prevent it from becoming chaotic."

"Now that Youzhou is relatively peaceful, we only wish to add 10,000 cavalry to quell border troubles."

"It can both quell internal strife and defend against the disturbances of the Xianbei."

Li Yi reported to Liu Bei on the work in Youzhou, and also explained why he needed to ask Liu Bei for more troops.

It wasn't just for himself, but also for Tian Yu of Youzhou.

Youzhou was originally a harsh and cold place, and it needed to rely on the money and taxes from Ji and Qing provinces to fill the gap each year.

Liu Bei couldn't help but tease:

"Youzhou has just been annexed, so it is only right to increase troops to pacify and govern it."

"Why is the Prime Minister so apprehensive about the Northern Barbarians?"

“I have observed that the Xianbei people send envoys to pay tribute every year, and they are extremely respectful.”

"With the Prime Minister's prowess in a hundred battles, how dare he fear such a lowly barbarian?"

It is said that a nation often perishes due to weakness, but the Han dynasty alone perished due to strength.

Any separatist warlord could easily crush the neighboring foreign regimes.

Even Gongsun Du, whom Li Yi had just defeated, single-handedly beat everyone around him.

It's no wonder Liu Bei looked down on these foreign tribes.

Li Yi bowed and replied:

"In the past, the Xiongnu Chanyu Modu also paid tribute to the Han Dynasty, but the siege of Baideng almost brought down the state..."

"The country is in turmoil, plagued by war and calamity, and the people are exhausted." "The barbarian tribes are eyeing our borders with predatory intent; this is the opportunity for their rise."

"If the world were unified and all able-bodied men were killed, the barbarian cavalry would take advantage of the situation and march south."

"If the ancestral temples were to collapse, wouldn't that be a calamity for the state?"

"Therefore, Your Majesty, I urge you to focus on recuperating and resting to strengthen the foundation of the nation, and to reduce taxes and levies to conserve the people's strength."

“Foreign countries should cut off their trade to weaken their trade.”

"Or they may separate their tribes to divide their power, and build fortifications and garrisons to block their advance."

"In this way, China can be at peace, and the barbarians will not be able to cause trouble."

Liu Bei nodded and then asked Li Yi what else he had to do besides making strategic deployments in Xuzhou.

"...Hehe, Your Majesty is wise beyond measure, how dare I conceal anything?"

"But there was no other reason than to go to Xuzhou to discuss the reform of military equipment with Kongming."

During the previous attack on Julu, Li Yi witnessed the overwhelming power of pure technology and the battlefield advantage brought by the time difference.

In the past, we were weak and dared not push ourselves too hard in the field of technology.

Now that the State of Qi is powerful, Li Yi believes that it can take scientific research and technology to the next level.

However, Li Yi is usually too busy with too many things to do, so he can't spend too much time on scientific research.

Li Yi is a workaholic, that's common knowledge.

People in the Prime Minister's residence all praised Li Yi for "doing everything personally".

While he was hands-on, it doesn't mean that Li Yi had to personally participate in every single matter.

Instead, they must participate in and oversee all matters, big and small.

To put it bluntly, it means wanting to control everything.

To put it nicely, it's called doing everything personally.

To put it bluntly, it's called having a strong desire for control.

Therefore, many people in later generations have criticized Li Yi, saying that although he seemed to do everything himself, he was actually unwilling to delegate power.

Regardless of what later generations might speculate about, Liu Bei greatly admired Li Yi's diligent and enterprising spirit.

They also agreed to allocate funds to establish a research institute in Xuzhou.

The position of director was filled by Zhuge Liang, who was recommended by Li Yi.

As for Li Yi, let him be the honorary principal!

"Then, Prime Minister, what are your thoughts?"

Liu Bei also enjoyed the fruits of Li Yi's scientific research.

Such as refined salt, double stirrups, curved plow, high-bridged saddle, wooden flowing horse, etc.

Li Yi even designed iron pots for cooking, which can change people's lifestyles.

This was invented by Li Yi in his spare time while he was busy with many affairs of state.

Although Li Yi stood on the shoulders of his predecessors, it's impossible for him to have created all of these things entirely on his own.

Li Yi has his own research team.

The West Cao Yuan and the military governor of the Prime Minister's residence were all Li Yi's capable assistants.

Li Yi provided ideas and approaches, and everyone put them into practice based on their life experiences in this era.

Therefore, it can be understood that this is the result of everyone's collective wisdom.

Over the years, Li Yi has also cultivated a group of researchers with innovative ideas and vision.

He also brought them all over, so that he could personally hand them over to Zhuge Liang.

I hope to entrust the important task of scientific research in Qi to Liangliang.

"...My lord, please observe."

Li Yi took out a wooden box and gently pushed it in front of Liu Bei.

Liu Bei opened it and found a piece of iron inside.

What is this?

"...This is a horseshoe."

"horseshoe?"

"...Yes, Your Majesty observes that warhorses galloping at high speeds are prone to hoove damage."

"Of every hundred li traveled, two or three would be exhausted."

"Now we forge these iron rings, covering the hooves like armor."

"Advantages lie in taking risks, and perseverance is key."

"It can crush stones and thorns without being injured, and travel three hundred miles a day without its hooves breaking."

Horseshoes are primarily used to protect a horse's hooves.

In the natural environment, a horse's nails wear down every day.

Not to mention that the horses on the battlefield also have to face swords and spears, charging deep into the crowd.

Even if they don't go to the battlefield, if a horse doesn't have its horseshoes on, it will encounter small stones or other obstacles while carrying a heavy load.

This could also cause injury to the horse's hooves, rendering them unusable.

Li Yi should have brought out this plug-and-play, highly functional iron block for horse maintenance long ago.

After all, it doesn't involve much technology and isn't difficult to invent.

But precisely because it was not difficult to invent, Li Yi dared not reveal it.

It's too easy for neighboring states to copy our strategies.

At that time, Yuan Shao dominated the north and had a powerful cavalry force.

Li Yi feared that once the invention was made, it would only benefit the Yuan family.

He took out the Takahashi saddle and stirrups first, something he had been keeping hidden all along.

It was intended to be used in the crucial battle of Cangting to catch the enemy off guard.

But after that battle, almost every warlord equipped their warhorses with double stirrups and high-bridged saddles.

After all, these things are not like counterweight catapults, which can be dismantled after use.

They are used too widely and too frequently.

Now, Liu Bei has not only gained control of most of Ji Province, but has also recovered You Province and Liaodong.

The country had no shortage of warhorses; in fact, it had the most horses among all the feudal lords.

Sun Quan was the one who had the fewest horses.

Since Qi had the most horses, it would naturally benefit the most from producing horseshoes.

Therefore, Li Yi's decision to bring it out at this time can be said to be perfectly timed.

Liu Bei took the horseshoe in his hand, examined it repeatedly, and asked, "What is it used for?"

Li Yi replied, "Just nail the horse's hooves to the horseshoes."

Liu Bei observed for a long time, then stroked his hand and sighed:
"Iron ore is rare; to adorn horseshoes with it is surely an extravagant waste."

Li Yi immediately replied:

"A horse covered with iron can be used for three more years."

"If a thousand cavalry are equipped with this, it can save ten thousand gold pieces."

"Why should we regret it?"

Admittedly, the exact time when horseshoes were invented has been a subject of much debate.

But what is certain is that horseshoes were not widely used when they were first invented.

After all, ancient iron smelting technology was underdeveloped, and iron was a state-monopolized resource.

Producing agricultural tools and weapons wasn't enough; they also needed to put two pairs of shoes on the horses.

It would indeed deter many rulers.

"In Julu, Hebei, the iron mountains are like a forest, and I have already dispatched workers to excavate them."

Li Yi continued speaking.

"The Cao family's workshops in Handan never cease operation, a gift from heaven to build their kingdom!"

"If we win this battle, we will seize Zhao territory and take its iron, which will surely bring us a fortune."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately ordered his men to make five thousand sets of these according to the sample provided by Li Yi.

Let's equip the cavalry of Youzhou first.

He then invited Li Yi for drinks and conversation, and the two chatted for half a day.

The following morning, Li Yi set off again, heading towards Xuzhou.

Since Guan Yu led a large army, although he traveled two days earlier, his journey was not as fast as Li Yi's, who traveled with a lighter and simpler force.

Li Yi arrived in Xuzhou first, and Zhuge Liang personally went to see him.

Like Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang was equally surprised by Li Yi's appearance in Xuzhou and asked:
"The Prime Minister is entrusted with important military affairs in the north, why would he suddenly come to Xuzhou?"

Li Yi explained:
"I have arranged everything in the north properly, and there will be no mistakes."

"I suspect that Cao Cao may be falsely claiming to be sending troops from the northern front, but in reality he intends to seize Xuzhou."

Therefore, he did not hesitate to go out into the night to personally assess the situation and devise strategies for war and defense.

Kongming paused slightly, then sighed:

"What the Prime Minister thinks is the same as what I think."

"Liang also felt that Cao Cao wanted to choose the east as the main battlefield, while the north would be mainly for defense."

The most outstanding military commander in the entire Cao camp was Cao Cao himself.

Why did Cao Cao choose to stay in the north?

He must have wanted him to personally withstand Li Yi's offensive in order to buy time for the eastern and southern fronts.

After all, in Cao Cao's camp, the only one who could rival Li Yi was Cao Cao himself.

Cao Cao had also worked with Li Yi and was relatively familiar with his military habits and style of doing things.

"...Yes, Kongming, please come with me."

Li Yi took Kongming's hand and led him to the post station.

The inn was packed with people, all of whom were researchers from the Prime Minister's residence.

Li Yi introduced each of them to Zhuge Liang.

"These are all craftsmen and scholars who have followed me for many years."

"...Kongming, although we have not known each other for long, I know that you are exceptionally clever."

"You have been in Xuzhou for several years, so you must know about the various instruments I created."

Zhuge Liang nodded repeatedly, "I have already seen the weapon made by the Prime Minister."

"The ingenuity of its construction is truly something that makes Liang ashamed."

Zhuge Liang admired Li Yi from the bottom of his heart.

She even felt that Li Yi was the ideal version of herself.

He was exceptionally handsome and talented.

Humility is reasonable, and skillful in eloquent argument.

He was capable of managing agriculture, commanding troops, and setting strategic policies.

They can also invent practical tools.

Furthermore, he himself was as diligent and hardworking as Li Yi, personally handling all matters.

After reading Li Yi's "Memorial on the Expedition to Liaodong," Zhuge Liang commented on that line:
"I was originally a commoner, merely seeking to preserve my life in this chaotic world, and did not aspire to fame or recognition among the feudal lords."

I totally understand!

Zhuge Liang studied it repeatedly and often exclaimed, "Isn't this a true reflection of myself?"
At the same time, Zhuge Liang was also vaguely aware of it.

Li Yi highly valued him and intended to groom him as his successor.

Although many people often speculate that Pang Tong will succeed Li Yi in the future.

After all, Pang Tong was also exceptionally capable, and had served as Li Yi's chief clerk and was Li Yi's student.

There has to be a first-come, first-served order, right? It has a higher priority than Zhuge Liang, doesn't it?
But in response to the world's speculation, Li Yi replied:

"Shi Yuan's talent is extraordinary, truly a hero of his time."

"Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; it requires not only high talent but also a calm and composed demeanor."

“In the past, Zichan governed Zheng by combining leniency with severity, which was the proper approach.”

"He lacked tolerance when faced with important matters."

“He is carefree and lacks diligence.”

"Important matters should not be entrusted lightly; we must wait and see how things develop before observing the consequences."

Li Yi first affirmed Pang Tong's talent, but then pointed out his character flaws, making him unsuitable to succeed him.

Of course, it's not fair to say that Pang Tong couldn't replace Li Yi.

However, Li Yi is a meticulous person, and naturally he will pursue something better if there is one.

He would never easily entrust himself, or the foundation that everyone had worked so hard to build, to another person.

However, some speculate that Li Yi said this to encourage Pang Tong.

I hope he can strive to improve himself and continue to make progress.

After all, he is still young.

Although Li Yi rejected Pang Tong, he did not specify who could be his successor.

But anyone with discerning eyes can see that what Li Yi referred to as "the diligence of working hard from morning till night" is actually a misinterpretation.

He shares the same vision as Zhuge Liang, a leading figure of the new generation.

In terms of working early in the morning and retiring late at night, Zhuge Liang was most similar to Li Yi.

It can be said that Li Yi placed high hopes on both Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang.

"A scholar will die for one who understands him." After hearing these words, Zhuge Liang constantly encouraged himself to improve.

I hope to live up to my idol's expectations.

"However, the instruments I created are truly not worth mentioning."

"With Kongming's talent, he will surely surpass me by a wide margin."

Changing the subject, Li Yi directly shifted the conversation to scientific research.

"The King of Qi has now issued an edict allocating funds to Xiapi to establish the Academy of Natural Sciences."

"Let Kongming lead the affairs of the academy and oversee its success."

"All the scholars I have brought with me are at Kongming's command."

"I hope that you will be able to study diligently and think deeply."

Zhuge Liang was startled, realizing that he was still in Xuzhou preparing provisions and equipment.

How did you suddenly get a major national-level job?

"...Kongming, do not worry. When I was your age, I worked diligently for twelve days and eight hours a day."

“We are all working tirelessly day and night. The king places high hopes on you. You must not fail the king’s command.”

"Moreover, the study of natural sciences is truly a great undertaking that benefits the nation and the people."

"Does Kongming not wish for our country to prosper day by day, for the world to be unified as soon as possible, and for the common people to find peace quickly?"

Li Yi also made it clear that Kongming, your workload is nothing.

When I first joined the company, it was common for me to work 18-hour days.

That's how we all got through it.

Now the King of Qi has high hopes for you, and I admit that I am far inferior to you in terms of inventive talent.

Therefore, you are the only one suitable to be the director of this scientific research institute, so please do not decline.

After saying that, Li Yi took out a few more blueprints.

He handed it to Zhuge Liang and said:

"These are drawings I made in my spare time."

"Then it was handed over to Kongming for research and development. If it is completed in time, it can be put into use."

As I said before, although Li Yi comes from the modern era, he stands on the shoulders of his ancestors.

But that doesn't mean that just because he knows something, he can invent it.

He had to design its structure and study its operating principles.

Then, repeated practice is required before it can be invented.

This is obviously an extremely large workload, with a significant amount of sunk time costs involved.

Li Yi felt that he didn't have enough free time to dedicate to inventions.

Secondly, in terms of ingenuity, he felt inferior to Zhuge Liang.

Kongming unfolded the drawings one by one, and the first drawing that caught his eye immediately piqued his interest.

"...Prime Minister, this is—"

"This is called the 'Loss and Gain Repeating Crossbow'."

Li Yi immediately responded.

"Loss" means to decrease, while "gain" means to increase.

The repeating crossbow is a device that fires a variety of arrows, starting with a small number and gradually increasing in quantity.

This is what we commonly refer to as a mother-and-child arrow.

It also has a more resounding name—Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.

Li Yi didn't even want to rack his brains to figure out how to invent the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.

He simply drew up his own ideas, added some of his own understanding, and created the drawings.

Then it was handed over to the rightful owner.

Although the content is abstract, I believe it is not difficult for the person in question to do it.

"This repeating crossbow is ingeniously designed!"

"But with a good understanding of the situation, one can realize the potential for great achievements on the battlefield."

"The Prime Minister is truly blessed with divine wisdom, which is beyond human capability!"

Zhuge Liang could not hide his excitement and praised the blueprints provided by Li Yi.

So, he couldn't wait to look at the remaining drawings.

……

(End of this chapter)